TO BUILD THE BEST FELLOWSHIP, WE STARTED WITH THE BEST TEAM.

The success of the Brooke Owens Fellowship is built on the contributions of countless current and future leaders in aerospace. From the companies that employee our Fellows; to the executives, astronauts, and pioneers who mentor them; to the Fellows themselves. And, of course, our Founding team still draws on a deep and personal connection with our namesake, Brooke Owens, every day.

Sirisha Bandla

(she/her) Executive Team Member: 2023-present

Sirisha Bandla is currently the Vice President of Government Affairs and Business Development for Virgin Galactic.

Previously, Bandla served as the Associate Director for the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry association of commercial spaceflight companies. At CSF, Bandla works on various policies with the aim to promote the commercial space industry and make commercial spaceflight a reality. Before CSF, she worked as an aerospace engineer designing components for advanced aircraft at L-3 Communications in Greenville, Texas.

She has a Bachelors of Science degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from Purdue and holds a Masters of Business Administration from George Washington University. Bandla currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Astronautical Society, Future Space Leaders Foundation, and is a member of the Young Professional Advisory Council at Purdue University. Bandla also helps to coordinate the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program.

LoRI GARVER

(she/her), Founder. Executive Team Member: 2016-2020, 2023-present

The Honorable Lori Garver was the Deputy Administrator of NASA and leader of the Agency’s transition team for President-elect Obama from 2008 - 2013. Garver has since served as the General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association and CEO of Earthrise Alliance - a philanthropic initiative established to fully utilize Earth science data to address climate change. Her memoir, Escaping Gravity, My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age was released in 2022.

Currently, Garver is a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School, an Operating Advisor at Bessemer Venture Partners, a member of the Board of Directors of Hydrosat and a strategic advisor to several leading aerospace corporations, including Sierra Space, World View, K2 Space and Orbite Space.

Earlier in her career, Garver founded Capitol Space and the AstroMom project - which led her to Star City where she trained and received her medical certification for a commercial spaceflight on a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station. She has previously served as an appointed special government employee and member of the NASA Advisory Council and the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Council, President of Women in Aerospace and the American Astronautical Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of Maxar Technologies.

In addition to being a co-founder and executive team member of the Brooke Owens Fellowship, Lori serves on the selection committees of the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award, the UN Call for the Code Prize and Aviation Week and AIAA’s 20 Twenties. She has received numerous awards including the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Aerospace, AIAA’s 2022 Public Service Award, the National Space Society’s 2022 Robert A. Heinlein Award, three NASA Distinguished Service Medals and an Honorary Doctorate from Colorado College. 

Lori holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Colorado College and an M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from George Washington University.

MADDIE KOTHE

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2023-present

Maddie is driven by the transformative power of a diverse community and the profound ability for aerospace to inspire the world. As a Dragon Vehicle Lead at SpaceX, she plays a pivotal role in launching astronauts and cargo into space, a position that aligns with this drive. Previously at SpaceX she held the position of Dragon Launch Engineer, where she was instrumental in the historic return of human spaceflight to the United States. Maddie has lead teams in the integration and building of the Dragon spacecraft fleet, pioneered astronaut launch operations, and led the Closeout Crew, ensuring the safety of astronauts before embarking on their awe-inspiring journeys to space.

In 2018, Maddie was selected as a member of the second class of the Brooke Owens Fellowship. She earned her Bachelors in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Beyond her remarkable career, Maddie exhibits a deep passion for embracing new adventures including receiving her private pilot license, scuba diving, wingwalking, and waterskiing. Maddie has a deep desire to create a safe space for others to feel empowered and excel in their careers. This has recently led her to developing Space to Empower, a business focused on building tools and community for young professionals to navigate their careers confidently.

Caryn Schenewerk

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2023-present

Caryn Schenewerk is a respected leader in navigating the complex regulatory and policy landscape for the spaceflight industry. As the President of CS Consulting, she provides expert guidance to clients on regulatory and policy engagement with all levels and branches of government. Caryn co-authored a space law textbook, International Space Law and Space Laws of the United States, and is honored to share her expertise as an adjunct professor of Space Law at Georgetown University Law Center.

Prior to founding CS Consulting, Caryn served as the Vice President for Regulatory and Government Affairs at Relativity Space, where she helped the company launch the world’s first 3-D printed rocket. Caryn started her career in aerospace at SpaceX, where she spent a decade supporting commercial and civil space operations, facility expansion, and economic development as a lawyer and lobbyist. She has an extensive track record of interacting with U.S. government agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, NASA and the U.S. Space Force in support of launch and recovery operations.

Caryn is a member of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee for which she leads the Regulatory Working Group. She also serves as the industry lead for the FAA’s Part 440 Aerospace Rulemaking Committee.

Prior to her work in the space industry, she served as the Deputy Associate Director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President. Caryn has also worked in various other roles, including Counsel, Policy Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, starting her career in international trade law. 

Caryn obtained her bachelor's degree from Austin College in Sherman, TX, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. She also earned a Master's in Laws (LLM) from the University of Nottingham in England and is a member of the New York and D.C. Bars.

Kayla Watson

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2020-present

Kayla is a System Reliability Engineer at Amazon Prime Air. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Ohio State University. As an undergraduate, Kayla was honored with the Morrill Scholar's Distinction Full Academic Scholarship and with the Minority Engineering Program's Freshman Excellence Award. While serving as President of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), Kayla led an effort to develop “UAV Safety City,” a low-cost, low-regulatory-footprint UAV testing facility in the state of Ohio. She also worked as a researcher for the Battelle Center for Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, developing commercial space public policy recommendations and analysis.

After interning at General Electric Aviation, Kayla was selected as a member of the Brooke Owens Fellowship Class of 2018. As a Brookie, Kayla worked at Amazon Prime Air, continuing directly into her full-time position at the firm. Kayla has served in many different roles as an alumna of the Fellowship – including as a mentor, a member of the selection committee, and as the community’s main liaison with industry associations and affinity groups such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Carly Broady

(she/her) Fellowship Administrator

Carly has been with the Brooke Owens Fellowship since July 2023 as our Fellowship Administrator! In her role, Carly oversees the selection process and coordinates the development of fellowship initiatives, ensuring that each participant receives the support and resources needed to thrive in their career. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in her efforts to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all Brookies, fostering a community where innovation and collaboration flourish.

Prior to joining the Fellowship, Carly worked in sustainability consulting and has a background in policy and government. Carly holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While at UT, she built her own major to study Renewable Energy Policy and Sustainable Societies and minored in Leadership through the College Scholars Program.

Will Pomerantz

(he/him), Founder. Executive Team Member: 2016-2023

Will Pomerantz is an aerospace executive with two decades of experience in the entrepreneurial and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Head of Space Ventures at AeroVironment, where he leads the team that build the Collier-Trophy winning Mars Ingenuity helicopter in partnership with NASA JPL. In that role, Will leads the new space business unit within the company’s MacCready Works Advanced Solutions division as they develop the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters and other future missions.

Prior to joining AeroVironment, Will served as Vice President for Special Projects and Employee #001 at Virgin Orbit, Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Galactic, and Senior Director of Space Prizes at the XPRIZE Foundation, among other roles.

He is passionate about ensuring that talented people from all walks of life have the ability to participate in and contribute to the exploration of space. Will is a Co-Founder of both the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, two award-winning mentorship and work experience programs focused on enabling more female, non-binary, and Black undergraduates to pursue successful aerospace careers. For many years, he served as the Chair of the Board of Advisors and as a Trustee of SEDS-USA, the world's largest student space organization. Will was also the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of SpaceAlumni.com, an early social network for space professionals.

Will holds a bachelors degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard and a masters degree in Space Studies from the International Space University. He is also a graduate of the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership training program for undergraduate and graduate students.

In 2004, Will co-founded and served as Editor-in-Chief of SpaceAlumni.com, an early social network for space professionals. He has served on two US Federal Advisory Committees: the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) and the National Academies of Science and Engineering’s Committee on Building a Better NASA Workforce.

Will is a working father and the proud husband of Diana Trujillo.

Emily Calandrelli

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2021-2023

Emily is a science communicator whose work spans across TV, books, social media and public speaking. She is the Co-Executive Producer and Host of Netflix's Emily's Wonder Lab, an Emmy-nominated Executive Producer and Emmy-nominated host of FOX's Xploration Outer Space, and a correspondent for Bill Nye on Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World. Emily is the author of the science chapter book series the Ada Lace Adventures, which was launched to the ISS through the Story Time from Space program and named by the National Science Teachers Association as one of 2018's best STEM books. Emily’s latest work, Reach for the Stars, a space-themed picture book, comes out next spring. Emily received bachelor's degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from West Virginia University and master's degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as Technology and Policy from MIT, and was a Truman Scholar and a Goldwater Scholar while at WVU. Emily has given three TEDx talks, is a professional public speaker and works to share her love of science and space exploration to her 1M+ followers across TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on her @TheSpaceGal accounts.

Caroline Juang

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2020-2023

Caroline is a Ph.D. Candidate at Columbia University in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Caroline is interested in using satellite data, big datasets, and statistical modeling to understand natural hazards in the context of modern climate. Under the mentorship of her advisor Dr. Park Williams, she is currently investigating how climate affects wildfires in the western United States. Between college graduation and her Ph.D., she was a project coordinator at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/ Science Systems and Applications, Inc. in Greenbelt, MD, where she launched and managed the NASA citizen science project Landslide Reporter.

Caroline received her Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University. After internships with the Space Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum; and the Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, Caroline was selected as a member of the inaugural class of Brooke Owens Fellows. As a Brookie, Caroline worked at Bryce Space and Technology, conducting and presenting research on SmallSat market trends, which was published as Smallsats by the Numbers 2018. She also assisted the Business Development team with proposals, research, and the 2017 Start-Up Space report. Caroline has served in many different mentorship, outreach, editor, and design roles as an alumna of the Fellowship – including creating the program’s logo in 2017.

Diana Trujillo

(she/her), Executive Team Member: 2020-2022

Diana is an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she currently serves as the Robotic Arm System domain lead for the Mars Perseverance mission.

Born and raised in Colombia, Diana immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 to pursue her dream of working for NASA. She enrolled in English as a Second Language courses, working full-time to support her studies in community college and later at the University of Florida and University of Maryland. After graduating, she worked on the Cygnus International Space Station resupply vehicle before joining JPL.

Outside of her work at JPL, Diana is also a board member of the Columbia Memorial Space Center and of the Children’s Center at Caltech. She is also a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM, having pushed for more inclusion of the Latinx community in venues ranging from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics to the educational program Plaza Sésamo (Sesame Street).  A personal friend of Brooke Owens, the namesake of this Fellowship, Diana has been involved in the program from its earliest days as a leader, mentor, coach, and selection committee member. 

CASSIE LEE

(she/her), Founder. Executive Team Member: 2016-2021

Cassie Kloberdanz Lee has built a career at the intersection of technology and impact. She is co-founder and CEO of Sound Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating climate innovation for the live event industry and leveraging the power of the live event industry to catalyze climate innovation. Lee serves as a Strategic Advisor to Bye Aerospace and chairs the Board of Directors for PLACE.

Lee previously led Climate Intelligence at Lockheed Martin and was the Principal Investigator for next generation climate, weather, and Earth science instruments and satellite systems.  She also served as the COO of Earthrise Alliance and Head of Space Programs at Vulcan Inc, a Paul G. Allen company.  In these roles, she led the development of innovative space solutions and technology applications in support of impact-focused programs such as addressing climate change, ending illegal fishing, protecting coral reefs, and using data to save species at risk of extinction.

In addition to her work with the Fellowship community, Lee has been part of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Space4Women Network since its inception, serving as a Mentor and as part of the cohort of space industry leaders committed to promoting gender equality and empowerment for women and girls in the space sector around the world. 

Lee is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, where she designed and taught a graduate course in Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and the University of Iowa. She began her career as a propulsion engineer at NASA and held a variety of roles in human spaceflight with Sierra Nevada Corporation. Lee also led media and public relations at SpaceX.